|
|
Christ Will Come Again
Excerpt from Easter III sermon by President Ferlo
It's relatively easy to celebrate redemption on Easter Day. But it's harder and harder to sustain the Easter spirit as Sunday passes into Sunday. It's especially hard in these latter days, when for many people the days are shadowed by uncertainty and anxiety about where the country or where the world is headed, no matter where we find ourselves on the political spectrum.
|
|
 |
|
The last thing they would want
would be to be forced to know this Jesus again.
|
|
For many of us, especially if we are coping with personal crisis or personal sorrows, to assert Christ's presence -- that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again -- runs counter to the evidence of our senses, or even more, runs counter to our own common sense.
"Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." It's tempting, especially for the more empirically minded among us, to see this only as a figure of speech, as a useful metaphor. Easter as a springtime of the spirit.
But it's hard to live on just a metaphor. You can't eat or drink a metaphor. It's not a metaphor that will save us...
And now there was someone, something, shadowing. It's spooky. They have survived a scene of catastrophic death, a death for which they may even feel vaguely responsible, a death that in some way perhaps, quietly, they secretly resent. The savior was not supposed to die like that. Anger and grief are never far removed from each other in situations like this.
As far as they knew, this Jesus was safely dead. The last thing they would want would be the wounded Jesus to draw near and walk the distance with them, like some kind of zombie or walking corpse to threaten them with destruction. But worse than that would be for him to come to them still as one of their own, to remind them of what they have lost in spite of what had been promised.
The last thing they would want would be to be forced to know this Jesus again.
|
Congratulations, Class of 2017
Eight new graduates representing the breadth of our academic programs
|
|
|
|
Graduates not pictured here: Padriac Michael Collins-Bohrer,
David G. Jackson, Brian Gerald, Palmer
|
|
Please join us in congratulating our graduating class of 2017 -- eight gifted leaders newly equipped for ministry, representing each of our academic programs.
Our Commencement Eucharist on Friday, May 12, at St. Paul and the Redeemer Episcopal Church, Chicago, was presided over by Board of Directors Chair Bishop W. Michie Klusmeyer. The sermon was offered by President Roger Ferlo. Other liturgical ministers represented the entire seminary community, including additional directors, faculty, degree candidates, staff, and the Diocese of Chicago.
Best wishes and Godspeed to our new graduates as they take their ministries forward:
- Diploma in Anglican Studies: Padraic Michael Collins-Bohrer, David G. Jackson, Virginia Stewart Tyler Smith
- Master of Divinity: Andrew Lee Christiansen, Stephen Edward Lane, Lily Esther Marx
- Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Studies: Deborah Renee Brown
- Doctor of Ministry in Preaching: Brian Gerald Palmer
We are thrilled to have contributed to the formation of these Gospel-driven persons, and their development as theologically grounded pastors, preachers, teachers, and leaders for today's church. Many thanks to the graduates' families and friends, and everyone who supported them through their studies. We are especially grateful to the people of St. Paul and the Redeemer for their hospitality, and to Guest Organist Beau Surratt of St. Mary's, Park Ridge.
|
Giving Thanks
Our "Bending Toward Justice" convocation -- so many rewards
We are still giving thanks for our rewarding Chicago Convocation 2017, "Bending Toward Justice," held April 26 at St. James Commons. As always, it was a delight to reconnect with alums and supporters from near and far thanks to the efforts of everyone who helped organize and orchestrate the day.
We are especially grateful for our guest faculty -- Keynoter Gayle Fisher-Stewart, Alumnus John Floberg, and Seminarian Kenji Kuramitsu -- who shared so many insights from the front lines of justice ministry. And how fitting to present the Rev. Dr. John Floberg with a degree of Doctor of Divinity
Honoris Causa in recognition of his 25-plus years of ministry to the Sioux Nation at Standing Rock and to the church. Watch this space for a link to our 2017 magazine which will include more from this inspiring day of learning and fellowship.
|
|
|
Photos by Fr. Ethan Jewett.
|
|
 Looking for Leaders -- Can You Help?
Room for more imaginative and entrepreneurial leaders
Who in your circle has emerged as a promising congregational leader? Can anyone you know take advantage of these opportunities?
- FULL 3-year MDiv Scholarship, one per year for the next 3 years
Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous donors, we are seeking to award the first of three Bexley Seabury St. Marina Scholarships. Successful candidates will receive a full 3-year MDiv scholarship (tuition, fees, and all expenses paid). Eligibility criteria include being an LGBTQ leader; a demonstrated commitment to justice ministry in the Episcopal Church; academic criteria required under the Bexley Seabury Scholars program. APPLICATIONS DUE JUNE 30 for MDiv studies beginning September 2017.
More here
- NEW Baptismal Ecclesiology Course Placing baptism at the center of Christian life, as the Episcopal Church has done, is a bold move with bold consequences. Our new team-taught course, "Baptismal Ecclesiology," will consider how the church is (or is not) embracing the opportunities of shared mission in our congregations, in our dioceses, and across denominational lines. ALL LEADERS ARE WELCOME, lay and ordained. The course is the first offering of our new Diaconal Enrichment program, created to help dioceses offer new training options for new and experienced deacons and reinvigorate our communities.
- SEEKING Master of Divinity and Anglican Studies program candidates for 2017-2018 and beyond. Who in your congregation or diocese would you like to know more about Bexley Seabury's flexible and innovative curriculum?
Please send your suggestions by
email to Jaime Briceno or phone Jaime at 773-380-7045 -- or ask your referrals to contact Jaime directly.
|
APPLY NOW -- Lead from Strength with Confidence
7th Annual Leadership Institute at the Kellogg School June 19-21
There are plenty of programs geared for people in the corporate world. But what about people of faith?
Expressly for ministry leaders
Our annual Leadership Institute at Northwestern University's Kellogg School immerses participants in a dynamic learning experience designed expressly for ministry leaders -- lay and ordained -- who serve in a variety of settings.
- Lay and ordained ministers of all Christian denominations
- Leaders in religious and values-based
 non-profits
- Institute alums ready to refresh their advanced leadership skills
- Perhaps you--or someone you know
Meets in downtown Chicago
Classes meet at Northwestern's downtown campus about a 10-minute walk from St. James Commons, home to the Dicoese of Chicago. Drawing on real-world successes achieved in the church and in the non-profit world, the curriculum emphasizes strategic thinking and effective responses to the real-life challenges of our culturally diverse communities and the unique considerations posed by church polity and practice.
University and seminary faculty
Participants will learn from Kellogg School and Bexley Seabury faculty members. The highly interactive course format is
structured for adult learners.
Tuition for the 3-day Institute, June 19-21, is $1,450.
APPLY NOW and consider including members of your team.
|
THANK YOU for your generosity
Every gift makes a difference
WE SO APPRECIATE the many gifts received in response to our spring Annual Fund appeal. Although we have not yet met our by-June-30 targets we soon will WITH YOUR HELP! Every gift helps us bridge the gap between tuition and the full cost of theological studies, and continue our tradition of open scholarships, based solely on need. THANK YOU ALL!
CONTRIBUTE ONLINE
|
|
Bexley Seabury is now part of Amazon Smile
Help us make a difference while you shop
For anything you buy at Amazon Smile, Amazon will donate 0.5% to Bexley Seabury.
Amazon Smile offers Amazon's exact same prices, selection and shopping experience with a "mission bonus" for Bexley Seabury paid by Amazon.
All you need to do is go to smile.amazon.com and select Bexley Seabury as your desired charity, or go directly to our unique store page:
Bexley Seabury at Amazon Smile
|
On and Off Campus
Alums
Mary E. Tudela
(SWTS '04), was the 2017 commencement speaker and inaugural honorary degree recipient on May 6 at Pacfici Oaks College &
Children's School in Pasadena, Calif. She received the college's
first honorary doctorate degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.
"We are thrilled to be honoring Reverend Mary E. Tudela for the exemplary and distinguished contributions she made to advance Pacific Oaks College & Children's School, and her professional eminence in the application of leadership and humanity to practice," said Patricia A. Breen, PhD, president of Pacific Oaks.
Tudela is an Episcopal priest, a premarital and marriage enrichment coach, author, leadership coach, and former executive at a Fortune 500 company. She works with leaders of business, non-profit organizations, and congregations on leadership development and strategic planning and visioning, as well as providing pastoral care to her clients. Tudela published a book on faith based leadership in the corporate workplace.
In Memoriam
We have learned of the death late last week of former Seabury-Western and University of Minnesota Professor Richard Pervo.
|
|
